Social Buying Styles
Lots of companies use the model of Driver, Amiable, Expressive, and Analytical. Though this model can be somewhat effective, it is not fool proof. This social style model focuses on a persons mannerisms in social settings. It does not give us a strong indication as to what motivates them to buy, making it hard to determine what their ‘Buying Motive” is. Or, what kind of decision making process that person needs to go through to make a purchase. Each person is different. I’ve seen everything from a customer calling their friends for advice, to going in the other room alone to pray. This model doesn’t address what is going on in the customers head. Also, people can seem to be a style that they are not when they are put into a stressful buying situation.
Example: My mom is amiable. However, when she gets into a buying situation, she is so insecure that she asks lots of questions that would lead a person to believe she is analytical. If you follow the steps in selling an analytical, you would give lots of technical data and documented proof for her to look at. This, in her case, will be confusing, stressful, and make it impossible for her to make a decision. “I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT!!” Which really means “I’m not comfortable”. What she really needs to be sold as is what I call a “Mystified”. Walk her through the steps of making things simple. When she starts to ask questions, she is looking for comfort not documented proof.
So, when we type cast someone, it isn’t to put them into a social category, it is to put them into a “decision making” category. I don’t care how someone reacts at a social event as apposed to at work, or when they go out to eat. I want to know what kind of a buyer they are. What motivates them to buy, and more important, what criteria is going to be of greatest influence to the way they make that buying decision.
Jim’s Quote of the day: “If you don’t know How your customer makes a buying decision, you don’t really know If he is going to buy. You can only speculate and hope.”
Here are the categories/types I put people into:
Enlightened
Buying motives: Quality is more important than brand. Price is not a key factor, but they are aware of it. They don’t jump on the “sale” price because they are not impulse buyers. However, they will buy something of equal quality without the brand name if the opportunity presents itself. (Example: They may drive a VW instead of an Audi.)
Identifying tips: They dress well but not with flashy brand names. You may see them in a $250 pair of shoes, but you won’t know it til you look close. They may have an Italian leather purse, but it won’t say Gucci. They may have a $5000 watch, but it won’t say Rolex. These are people who are secure in their life/careers. Usually professionals (not business owners though.) Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants… If you ask them what is most important, they will say quality if it is a product and service if it is a non tangible. Practical attitude, not excitable. Their tempo will be calm/maybe even a bit slow. These are the people that will let you talk until you hang yourself. Then, instead of calling you on it, they will just politely not be interested. A lot of times sales people won’t know what they did wrong or why they didn’t get the sale.
Selling tips: Small warm ups. They want to get to the point. No “sizzle”. They don’t care about the deal. They want to know it is the “right” thing to do, not the “In” thing to do. They may come in on referrals, but only to see for themselves. Just because the “Joneses” have one doesn’t close the deal. It only sparks the curiosity. They usually have an IFOR in some capacity. They are good decision makers with out others help. So pressure turns them off. They may research things a lot. Not for price as much as for practicality. If you ask “on a scale of 1-10…” This person will say 9 or 10. Sell less on technology and more on practicality and quality. They will want to be in control, so don’t give them the old “if I give you this, will you buy?” or the “ what will it take to earn your business?” They may not say anything to let you know it at the time, but you will loose credibility, and respect with them if you use closing tactics. Remember: These usually are educated higher end people. You need to be straight forward and practical. No gimmicks or witty sayings. Show lots of respect, and agree with their reasoning and practicality. Never try to cover up something they point out as negative. Instead, compliment them on their perception and let them know you will do your best to fix it. (NO EMPTY PROMISES) They also don’t want to negotiate much. They would rather know that “the price is the price” And, that if they talk to anyone else, they would have been offered the same deal. No games. Don’t try to hit heart strings or sell on emotion. Those are tactics designed to sell to impulse buyers. These people are far from that. In fact, they may seem to be in no hurry at all. That doesn’t mean they won’t buy on the spot. It just means they won’t be impulsive or caught up in the heat of the moment. You have to show you are relaxed and don’t really have a huge stake in whether they buy or not. “Win Win” is not a factor here. It isn’t that they want to see you loose your shirt on the deal, or them walk away with a huge discount. It is about the practicality of the product or purchase. You are just there to help them decide if it is the right thing to do for that situation. Note: Follow up and sticking to your word is really important. They are not afraid to take something back if it didn’t live up to what was promised.
Achiever
Buying motives: Brand. Technology. Stay ahead of the “Joneses”. New. Cutting edge. Anything that enhances their image. Price means nothing unless they can’t afford it. However, “the deal” does. They are very competitive. So, they want to feel they talked you down to nothing because they are such great negotiators. Big EFOR. However, they like being first.
Identifying tips: Brand names that enhance image. Drive a low end BMW instead of a high end dodge. Dress flashy. They are well groomed. Very positive attitudes very excitable. They believe “they are what they do ”sales 101” would call them expressive, but they may be a bit of a driver too. These are usually sales people or entrepreneurs of some sort. Usually their tempo will be very fast. You will feel time is short. (However, if you captivate them, you have all day)
Selling tips: Short warm ups directed to pumping their ego. They want the best. They want what will enhance their image. Compliment them on what they do for a living, and show them how the product enhances that. Sell on ego and emotion more than logic. Don’t bore them with detail. They like the big picture/what does it do for me? When you ask “on a scale of 1-10…” this person will be 9 or 10, or even 11. They are usually sales people, performers, and business owners. They don’t mind the “sizzle” as long as you are good at it. (And they will know) They are very receptive to the “pitch”. If the pitch is cheesy, they will tear you up. If it is witty and presented with style, you will gain a few points. Sometimes, they may want to advise you how to sell. When this happens, it is funny because you just let them teach you. As they do, they will walk themselves into the sale. (The old saying “sales people are the easiest to sell”. True, unless you try to compete with them.) They act like they like the old “win win” reason for buying only because they are aware of that selling concept. However, deep down “win loose” is better. They are competitive and have a huge ego about negotiating. They do it for a living, and they also feel that “they are what they do.” So,, they would like to feel that they “took you to school”. Especially if they happen to be making this decision in front of a friend or their spouse. These people are impulse buyers. They decide fast, and almost never feel remorse. Once you get them sold, they stay sold. In fact they go away and justify everything by how great of “deal” or “decision” they made because they are so ego driven. (So, they buy on emotion and justify with logic later.) The only thing that will kill you is if they feel they were “had” or that you tricked them. They want that to be the other way around.
Belonger
Buying motives: “my friend has one”. They like to see testimonials. They hate high pressure. They like to know that the product is what everyone else is choosing. “Be just like everyone else”.
Identifying tips: They wear team paraphernalia. Race car hats. They may come off as a bit of a “good ol boy” Tend to be more blue collar/construction type. They drive Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and have strong opinions why one is better than the other. “If it isn’t American made, you suck!” “Yes! It’s a hemi!…” They will have a medium or slow tempo.
Selling tips: They are EFOR type thinkers. They want to stay with the crowd, so make sure you give testimonials, and reassure them that everyone is buying it. They don’t like flashy sales tactics. In fact, you may feel that they “hate” sales people. They may see you as lazy because you chose a field that doesn’t make you sweat. They want you to be down to earth and make them feel like you are their neighbor. They will be practical, so don’t try to upgrade them on everything. “The deal” will help the sale, but don’t expect them to buy on impulse or emotion. There has to be some logic (not too much) but most of all “cost justification”. They have to feel like it will save money and pay for itself. They will rationalize it, but not analytically as much as just flat out “bang for the buck” When you ask “on a scale of 1-10” this person will say 5-8. They like the “win win” concept. If you present it right, they will see it as honest and fair. These people love to get a deal. They love it even better if they can bond with you in a way that says “we both made out on this one at the companies expense” This kind of “win win” will build loyalty with them and result in referrals and repeat business.
Note: A lot of these people fall into what I call “Indifferent” This is a tough category, because they seem to not care. The more you sell them, the more they resist. This type may be with a spouse that is excited, and they will try to sabotage it.
Example: The husband with the wife. The wife falls into one of the categories, and he is “Indifferent”. She will also be the outspoken one. You think she is the decision maker, but she isn’t. Every time you ask him what he thinks, he says “I don’t know, it’s not my department” Or “I don’t really care” Most sales reps take this at face value, and continue selling the other person. (Take the path of least resistance) The trap is that in the end she is going to look at him and say “well, should we get it?” And he is going to say “well, I’m not sure. Lets go think about it.” So, you must keep this type involved through out the process. Remember, he doesn’t want to be sold anything, and he will come off as a bit of a jerk because she dragged him out for something he doesn’t want to do. You have to use kit gloves on these people. They will try to bate you into an argument if possible, because they are looking for a reason not to buy. They will try not to cooperate. They will poke fun at the situation, or just look like they are bothered and want to leave. He won’t want to even answer the 1-10 question. If he does, it will be very low. This is one way you can differentiate him/her from a true belonger. (Actually he may be a belonger, but is an indifferent in this particular situation.) This type is the most important one to “get on his agenda”. Don’t be afraid if his agenda is not to buy. If you do a “take away” and jump to his side for a second, sometimes he will reconsider just to show he is in control. Sometimes, he will go along with it in the end because it will get him out faster and with less of a head ach. (He won’t have to go home and discuss it for days and then have to come back again anyway) You have to be aware of what is going on at all times. If you sense he will go along with it just to make her happy, or speed up the inevitable, you will have more power.
Note: I have had many situations with couples where the wife is one type, and the husband is indifferent. Usually when it is time to close the sale, they start to play ping pong with each other. “Should we get it? I don’t know, what do you think? I’m not sure, what do you think?” If you let this go on for more than about 10 seconds, it will always end with, “lets go home and think about it”
Here is a really funny solution that has worked for me more times than I can count.
I SMILE really big, and cut in politely and say “I think I can help here (look at the wife) would you like it if you had it? “yes” (look at the husband and reach to shake his hand) “can she have it?” (the smile is very important.). When he takes my hand, I just congratulate him and write it up. (I don’t wait for the yes)
This sounds way to easy to work, but it does. Here is the reason why:
She has done all of the talking and shopping. She knows he isn’t into it, but he may have the final say. He, knows she wants it, and his life will be much easier if he concedes. However, he doesn’t want to commit because he has been putting up a front throughout the sale. If he says yes, he looses some face. So, I create this scenario such that they both can win and save face. ( Could be any type but usually fall under 8, 5, or1, which is why it can be tricky)
Mystified
Buying motives: Security. Will be taken care of. Simple. Low pressure but need help with decision.
Identifying tips: If you ask the question ‘on a scale of 1-10”, they will always say 5 or less. They are afraid of total commitment, so they will leave a door to get out if possible. These are the toughest ones to get a “today” on. And worse yet, if you don’t, it is even harder to get them later. They have a strong EFOR. Testimonials will help if it confirms that they have no risk. Tempo will be slow. They will look a bit stressed. They will be very sensitive to pressure.
Selling tips: Keep it as simple as you can. They hate pressure and will be afraid of technology. They need to feel that you will be there for them and take care of everything. The purchase has to feel safe…no risk. Talk slow. Never go into great detail. It makes it harder for them to decide. Keep everything as though it is “no big deal”. Never never never try to fast talk them. If you do and you get the sale, the remorse % will be high. These are the ones that require the most follow up to make sure everything is o.k. and understood. They also require more warm up than pitch. They want to buy from you. Product and price are 2nd. Sometimes with a mystified, you will just visit with them, and they end up buying with little or no talk about the product. Trust is huge. Never be late, and never go back on your word. (you shouldn’t anyway, but this is especially sensitive for mystifieds.) Talk slow, and don’t get technical. Never act like you are in a rush to get the deal done. Close very light, with assumed yeses. Never force them to say “YES I WILL BUY” These are the ones you can say “how does that sound?” and then just right it up. The nice thing about mystifieds is that they are extremely loyal if you take care of them. They will be quick to refer people if they trust you. They usually won’t hand you the referral. They will just send people to you. Repeat buying will happen because you have become “safe” for them. (trust trust trust)
admin | 
09 19th, 2009| 